The World Cup 2026 has seen some of the world’s biggest stars announcing that this year’s tournament will be their last, as they’re not getting any younger. Cristiano Ronaldo and Neymar are among the most famous names in this regard. But they’re not the only ones, as Manuel Neuer, Riyad Mahrez, and Guillermo Ochoa have followed suit.
When their teams were eliminated, these stars were more emotional than usual, as it hit them that this will be the final time they’ll be in the sport’s showpiece event. They’ve had their share of ups and downs throughout the years, but overall, they’ll be grateful to have experienced it all while representing their countries.
Without further ado, SBOTOP pays homage to these cult heroes in today’s feature.
Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal
Cristiano Ronaldo captained Portugal for 18 years and is considered one of the greatest footballers of all time. Before Ronaldo, the Selecao had not won any international titles. He has won three with Portugal: the Euro 2016 and the UEFA Nations League in 2019 and 2025.
Portugal had another underwhelming run in the World Cup, eventually losing to Spain in the Round of 16. However, Ronaldo was among the Selecao’s top performers. The Al-Nassr striker was the team’s top goalscorer in this year’s finals with three goals – a remarkable achievement for a 41-year-old. He scored a brace in their 5-0 rout of Uzbekistan before sparking their comeback against Croatia by scoring their first goal of the Round of 32 contest.
Ronaldo is the first man to score in six World Cups and the oldest to score a brace in a World Cup game. The former Real Madrid star also became Portugal’s all-time leading scorer in the finals (11 goals), surpassing Eusebio.
Neymar, Brazil
Neymar scored a penalty in his last international game, a 2-1 loss to Norway, a fitting way to end his decorated career. Fun fact: he earned his first Brazil cap at MetLife Stadium during an international friendly against the United States in 2010, and his last World Cup match was played at the same venue, making it a full-circle moment.
This year, Neymar made only two World Cup appearances due to a nagging calf injury. The Santos forward came off the bench against Scotland and Norway, but didn’t play against Morocco, Haiti, and Japan. After the Round of 16, he confirmed his international retirement.
With 80 goals in 129 caps, Neymar is Brazil’s all-time leading scorer. Some of his notable achievements with the Samba Boys include winning the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics gold medal. He will leave Brazil in a much better place, as they now have Vinicius Jr. and Matheus Cunha, who have created numerous World Cup 2026 highlights.
Manuel Neuer, Germany
Manuel Neuer wasn’t supposed to play for Germany in this year’s finals, but he did so anyway at the behest of then-head coach Julian Nagelsmann. He was Die Mannschaft’s main man between the sticks, but the team only reached the Round of 32 after losing to Paraguay in a penalty shootout.
The 40-year-old shot-stopper said he has no regrets after deciding to retire from international duty for the second time in his career. Neuer will finish as Die Mannschaft’s fifth-most-capped player with 128 internationals after serving from 2009 to 2026.
With Neuer no longer around in the next cycle, Germany will likely rely on Oliver Baumann and Alexander Nubel to try to fill the massive void between the sticks.
Riyad Mahrez, Algeria
Riyad Mahrez also announced his retirement from international football following Algeria’s World Cup exit in the Round of 32 at the hands of Switzerland nearly two weeks ago. The 35-year-old forward retires with the second-most appearances for the Fennecs (119) and the second-most goals (40).
Mahrez was crucial to Algeria’s progress to the knockouts, recording one assist in their 2-1 win over Jordan and scoring a brace in their 3-3 draw against Austria, which made them one of the best third seeds in the group stage, per the World Cup 2026 odds.
Guillermo Ochoa, Mexico
The crowd at the Azteca went wild when Guillermo Ochoa subbed in for Raul Rangel in the final 16 minutes against the Czech Republic. Ochoa became the oldest Mexican player to feature at a World Cup at 40 years and 346 days old. After that, he didn’t play against Ecuador (2-0) and England (3-2).
At 153 caps, Ochoa is the third-most-capped player in El Tri history, having served the Mexican national team from 2005 to 2026.
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